Acumen 114 – January 2026

Order now for dispatch in January: Acumen 114 looks both back and forward, marking the start of 2026 through a poetic centenary and contemporary reflections. The issue takes as one of its touchstones Marina Tsvetaeva’s Krysolov (The Ratcatcher), first published a century ago, with Peter Eagles examining the demands and possibilities of translating such a work – and what translation continues to offer poetry as an act of invention and respect. There is a reassessment of Valentine Ackland by Fred Beake, restoring her presence and significance within twentieth-century British poetry. A new interview with Philip Gross reflects on water, place and the shaping of a poetic life. Alongside these features are new poems and translations from poets writing across the world, including Elizabeth Barton, David Punter, Pauline Hawkesworth, Michael Henry, Shanta Acharya, Clive Watkins, Pippa Little, Colin Pink, Doreen Hinchliffe, Kate Hendry, Daljit Nagra, Adrienne Christian, Eugene O’Hare, Dinah Livingstone, Simon Haines, and many more. Reviews of recent collections, together with a tribute to John Lucas, consider the continuing vitality of poetry and its communities. The issue offers a thoughtful meeting-place for poetry, history and inspiration.